Gillette Stadium won't be the only Patriots' battle ground this
football season. There is a tug of war brewing for local supremacy in Patriots'
pregame and postgame radio. Sportsradio WEEI has revamped its "NFL Sunday” pregame
fare.

Mainstays Dale Arnold, Kevin Mannix and Ron Hobson have
been replaced by Doug Brown, NBC.com's Tom Curran and Paul Perillo of "
Patriots Football Weekly.” The new trio brings competence and knowledge, but lacks
time-tested chemistry.

Meanwhile 104.1 FM WBCN's flagship broadcast counters with the familiar
mix of host Gary Tanguay, Ron Borges, Andy Gresh and Scott Zolak. WBCN's
postgame features Tanguay, Zolak and Gresh. Tanguay sees the changes at WEEI as a
chance to make some ratings headway.

"It think it's an opportunity. There's no question that Dale, Nelly
and the Touchdown Twins (Hobson and Mannix) were together for a long time and
had great chemistry. We now have that chemistry on our shows. We've always been
aware of what WEEI is doing, but we never wanted to copy them.”

WBCN also features a pregame rotation of "Patriots Football Weekly”
writers. The WBCN shows have eschewed any pro-Patriots flavor.

Says Tanguay, "You can't be a pom-pom guy. Jonathan Kraft and I email
ideas during the week for our "Owner's Box” pregame segment, but he has never
said that we could not talk about any subject.”

Tanguay also hosts FSN's "Sports Tonight.” Despite a budding radio
rivalry, Perillo and Curran will continue to be welcomed guests on that program.

Last Saturday, Tanguay, Gresh and Zolak presented a sparkling postgame
show, featuring candid analysis and insightful commentary. They also showed a
willingness to be critical of the Pats in a critical area, namely, the Deion
Branch situation.

Zolak stated that the Patriots would not make it to the Super Bowl
without Branch. Gresh agreed and also critiqued the team's running game.

All three hosts downplayed Saturday's 41-0 win over Washington
prompting a host of callers to voice their displeasure. The ever-excitable Gresh told
one caller that he would not be a Patriots "ball-washer” and that his job is
to objectively comment on the game.

Gresh mixes entertainment and football acumen as well as anyone. He is
a broadcast veteran and played football at the University of Rhode Island.

"Gresh knows how far to take it,” says the 42 year-old Tanguay. "He
played the game and knows the game. We'll all be riding his coattails someday.
Look, it's the Patriots postgame show, not the Patriots Pro Shop.

"We are about two-sided discussion. Zolak and Gresh watch and dissect
every game from the WBCN broadcast booth. With Deion Branch, the Patriots are a
slam-dunk Super Bowl team. Without him, they are back with the pack of
contenders.”

WBCN's Patriots programming is also heard at NFL.com resulting in
recent calls from places like Georgia, Calgary and Sweden. Tanguay says that in
order to fully serve the fans, the hosts must be objective.

"Even on (Celtics TV network) FSN, we have had good luck with that. FSN
tells us that if we are not getting criticism from fans, we are probably not
doing our job. It's the same on WBCN. The Krafts want good discussion.”

Whether you side with Branch or the Patriots, it was refreshing to hear
Tanguay and company go against the corporate line with regard to Branch's
holdout.

It's one thing for a team's flagship station talent to question
football moves, quite another to doubt contractual philosophy. That constitutes
taking on the intimidating and tight-lipped specter of Bill Belichick.

Says Tanguay, "It's not (Belichick's) job to make our job easier. Some
media members have a problem with coaches who tell white lies. I don't care
about that. It's the reporter's job to seek answers despite the Patriots'
controlled flow of information.”

Things could not be better for Tanguay who has found stability at FSN
and WBCN after banging around the Boston media scene at NECN, WB56, WBZ and
other stops. You could say that his love of the business has finally been
requited.

"The feedback I get is great, mostly asking me to tell (frequent FSN
guest) Mike Felger to shut up,” jokes Tanguay. "This is definitely a high point
for me.

"I wasn't sure how the FSN show would work out. We have a very loyal
niche audience and also have viewers who TiVo us in Los Angeles and watch us on
Fox Sports New York.

"We stand alone in Boston. NESN and the Red Sox are a juggernaut in the
summer. If the Celtics can have some success, we'll keep our current viewers
and gain those people sticking around after the games.”

Manny and Mike

The next time a Boston media type tries to sell you on the theory that
Manny Ramirez has not been treated unfairly by area reporters, use this little
nugget as ammunition.

Last week on FSN's "Sports Tonight,” Mike Felger said of Ramirez, "I
don't think he's injured. He's probably in some pain. I don't think he's
truly injured to the point where he should miss games.”

Felger referred to Ramirez' injury as a "Quote, unquote meniscus tear,
because I don't believe it's really that torn.”

Talk show hosts love to wallow in the gray area of opinion, but if
Felger has conflicting factual information on Ramirez' medical condition, he
should bring it forward.

If not, he is a merely tossing a trite, worthless and irresponsible
shot at Ramirez, one that should not be shielded under the umbrella of opinion.

Fellow FSN panelist Michael Silverman responded to Felger's theory
saying, "(Ramirez) brings it upon himself unfortunately because he doesn't
discuss these things.” Same old stuff. Ramirez doesn't talk to the media, so
idiotic doubts and insulting judgments reign.

Felger also discussed Tim Wakefield's injury, but did not question its
validity. Why the double standard for Ramirez? Is it because Wakefield is one
of the more media-accessible members of the team?

"Sports Tonight” itself played into the anti-Ramirez theme with its
poll question: "Do you think Manny's sore right knee is a legitimate injury?”

Let's see if FSN features such a loaded question when a Celtics'
player pulls up lame this fall. If not, the network has no credibility. The same
can be said of Felger and any Ramirez basher who fails to back up his fury with
some fact.

Bill's bidding

After last Saturday's Patriots-Redskins game, head coach Bill Belichick
began his press conference by stating that he would answer questions about
the game and the players who played in the game, an obvious attempt to avoid
queries about holdout Deion Branch.

One by one, reporters followed Belichick's orders, until John Tomase of
the Boston Herald bravely asked about Branch. Belichick, in his best Drew
Rosenhaus impression, replied, "Next question.”

I don't fault Belichick's tight-lipped style. It's his prerogative. I
do, however, fault the other lapdog reporters who failed to ask about the
issue. Belichick is the personnel chief for the team and should at least be asked
about Branch.

On Monday's WEEI interview with Belichick, the always-diligent Steve
DeOssie asked about Branch and got a similar no comment from the head coach.
Belichick's predictable non-answers are irrelevant. Tomase and DeOssie did what
other reporters failed to do. They did their jobs.

In response, a Boston television insider, very familiar with 7NBC, told
Media Blitz, "I think (the final choice) will definitely be a woman but good
ones are scarce, especially good ones who will work for no money.

"The decision on hiring the new sports person will be handled in Miami
(home of 7NBC parent company Sunbeam Television) by Alice Jacobs, Bob Leiter
and Ed Ansin, with perhaps a pinch of (7NBC Boston general manager) Mike
Carson.

"Linda Miele isn't making any decisions, let alone personnel, at least
not without getting the Miami seal of approval.” Miele has yet to answer a
call from Media Blitz.”

Puck patter

Kevin Greenstein and James Murphy's "Inside Hockey” radio show has
been signed by XM Satellite Radio and will air in pre-recorded format every
Saturday from 2-4:00 p.m.

"Inside Hockey” will continue to air live on AM 1510, Saturdays from
4-6:00 p.m. Ex-NHL and BC star Kevin Stevens joins the host team on both
channels this season.

Both shows premiere on September 16 with the AM 1510 show airing live
from Bruins' Fan Fest at Ristuccia Arena. For more about the shows, check out
Greenstein's superior website, InsideHockey.com.

Another excellent hockey radio show is back on the air in September.
The "New England Hockey Journal Radio Show” moves to 890 ESPN Radio Boston for
39 Saturdays beginning September 30 and ending June 23, the day of the 2007
NHL Entry Draft.

The program airs from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. and is hosted by the dynamic
duo of Kevin Paul Dupont and Mick Colageo as well as NE Hockey Journal editor
Matt Kalman. For more information, check out HockeyJournal.com.